Newton Brings Big Upside At The Plate

Javen Newton OF / Defiance, OH / 2019

DEFIANCE - College coaches in search of a hard-working hitting recruit need look no further than the northwest corner of Ohio.

Defiance High School has been a hotbed for college and professional baseball players in the past, with Javen Newton another standout hoping to join a long list of successful players coming out of a program that has been to state five times this decade and won three of the past six Division II titles.

“When you’re young and going to Defiance you see kids going places, you see kids in the pros,” explained Newton, a promising unsigned senior. “That’s a big inspiration and you want that for yourself.”

The 6-1 190-pound outfielder gained a lot of exposure this summer, helping attract interest from Purdue-Fort Wayne along with colleges in Ohio like Marietta, Ohio Dominican, Ohio Wesleyan, Heidelberg and Wright State.

“I went to a couple college camps and Purdue Fort Wayne showed some interest,” Newton said about the Division I program that competes in the Summit League. “That’s the main school I’m going for right now.”

The PBR Top Prospect Games helped ignite interest in Newton this summer along with playing on Ohio Elite.

“A lot of colleges got in contact with me after the Top Prospect Games,” noted Newton. “That really helped. Ohio Elite also helped with my recruiting, putting me in front of a lot of coaches. (Defiance head) Coach (Tom) Held also helped me out with his connections.”

What colleges have seen in Newton is a right-handed hitter with plenty of upside.